Magneto-machine for use in connection with the ignition systems of internal-combustion engines.



MAGNET@ MACHINE -EoEj USE 1N o0 c RQ-AP; HALL.- v l NNEGTION WINE-TEE IGNITloN 'SYS OMEUSTIQN ENGAINES,

APE'LIGNTION EILEE Nag 24, 190g.

TENS 0E INTERNAL meme@ fm. 11,' 1919 s EEEETs-EE'EET i.

R. P..HALL.

MAGNNTO MOHINI: TON USE IN OONNNOTION WITH'. THE IGNITION SYSTEMS OP INTERN-AL 1 OOMBUSTION' ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED AUG'. 24, 1908.

Patentedot. 1'1, '1910'.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

@TINT s 'INVENTION I oiw/ v E Pf SALE. MAGNET() MAGHINE FOR USB 1N CONNBGTIQN WITH VTHE `1G1 :IT10.N SYSTEMS 01? INTERNAL-v n GOMBUSTION ENGINES? AEEILIMTION- FAILED'AUG. 24, 1908- a sHEETselsHm-T s,v

UNITED sTATEs PATENT clarion.

ROBERT FREDERICK HALL, OF MOSELEY, NEAR BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND.

MAGNETS-MACHINE FOR USE IN CONNECTION WITH THE IGNITION SYSTEMS OF INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES.

To all whom t may concern: l

Be it known thatI, ROBERT Fknnnnron HALL, a subject of the King of Great Br1tain, residing at Ferndale, Church Road, Moseley, vnear Birmingham, England, have invented certa-in new and'useful Improvements in Magneto-Machines for Use in Connection with the Ignition Systems of Internal-Combustion Engines, of which the following is a specification.

rlhis inventionvhas reference to magneto machines for use in connection with the ignition systems of internal combustion engines', and the improvements. are principally ap. plicable to machines of the high-tension type in which both the primary and secondary windings are carried on the magneto armature. h

The principal object of the ysaid invention is to provide an improved magneto machine which, although capable of being used alone as the generator of a simple high-ten sion ignition system, is mainly adapted for use as part of a dual or double ignition system and in connection with a combined and self-contained machine or apparatus such as described in the specification of my concur-u rent application for Letters .Patent dated the 22nd day of August 1908 No. 449,854 wherein the magneto is combined with' a high-tension distributer which is capable of being used for distributing current that is generated either by the magneto itself or by an alternative coil and accumulator system,'and wherein also the shaft of the said common distributer drives a cam for operating a supplementary contact breaker that is combined in the machine but. is adaptedto be connected up in the primary circuit lot the said alternative system.

Another object is to so construct; a. magneto machine that the whole of the parts are thoroughly accessible and'mey be readily inspected or adjusted in position, even when the machine is running; also to provide for the ready detachment and replacement of the principal parts without involving any disturbance of the machine as @whole or affecting the general eiciency of the same.

A further object is to provide an im? proved systeml of bearings for 'supporting the armature so that sagging is effectually prevented, and the proper air-gap is always maintained between said armature and the pole-pieces of the magneto; also 'tor sup- Specication of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 24, 1908.

Serial No. 450,077.

porting the gearing that drives the hightension distributer and for takingthe thrusts and stresses which are exerted by the said gears when the machine is running, it being understood that when the improved magneto is used as a part of combined appliance such as above referred to one and the same set of gears is used for driving the distributer, both when the high-tension current is being generated by the magneto and when the ignition is being worked ott the battery and coil, so that the etfectual supporting of the gears and the -resistance of the gear Patented oct.11,191o. y

ythrusts are important factors to provide for.

, And an additional object which is sought to be realized is to provide for both the high and low tension currents from the doublewound armature to be led away from the same end of the said armature, viz., the end farthest removed from the driving gear, and thus enable the low-tension contact breaker and the high-tension current collector to be also arranged at the said end which, is farthest removed from the gear and so admit of these parts being afforded a maximum protectionv from oil, dust and the like.

A further object is to provide in connection with the primary and secondarv armaturewindings, improved means of collecting both the high and low tension currents and for conveying said currents respectively to the high-tension distributor and to the low-tension circuit breaker; also to facilitate the correct assembling of the various arts, to insure perfect insulation of the ditterent circuits and to protect the collectors and connections against the leakage of oil fromv the armature and driving gear bearings.

Other and incidental objects areto provide improved means :tor detachably mounting the condenser upon the armature casing and connecting same in shunt acrpss the low tension circuit; also a simple "means for shortcircuiting the magneto to earth when using battery ignition or when the system is out of action; also an improved safety spark-gap arran ement. Figure l of t e accompanying drawings represents a longitudinal vertical sect-ion of aeself-contained high-tension magneto and distributer arrangement in which the magneto part and its accessories are constructed and arranged in' accorda ce with my present invent-ion. This view hows the arrange- 'f rnc/nt of the armature eind its driving ygear and bearing; also the arrangement of the low-tension contact. breaker and high-tension current collector and of their respective connections with the primary and secondary windings of the armature. Fig. 2 is a cross section taken on the dotted line Fig. l through the high-tension current collector. Figs. 3 and 4 are two cross sections taken upon the dotted line m2 Fig. 1, through the contact-breaker but looking in opposite direetions. F ig. 5 is a section through the armature driving -gear upon the dotted line :123.Fig. l. F ig. 6 4is a cross section of the armature shaft at the contact-breaker end of the machine. Figs. and 8 are details of the contact-breaker cover.

The same letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the said Figs. l to 8.

a is the armature, which carries both the primary and the secondary windings of the system,vand is mounted to run between the pole pieces of the magnets Zi in the usual way. In conjunction with these pole pieces, suitable detachable top and base plates b2, b3 are arranged so as `to entirely inclose the armature, which is supported on special ball bearings that are arranged so as to prevent the sagging of the armature and also to admit of the conductors of both the primary and secondary windings being led away from the same end of the armature and of the disposition of the various electrical connections as far as possible away from thegearing which drives the armature and distributer. Thus, at one end of the armature casing (which I will refer to as drive end to distinguish the same from the other contaets7 end) I arrange a bearing and gear box c which is a self-contained and bodilydetachable element, and contains two laterally-separated sets of ball bearings c1, 02 forsnpporting the drive ende1 of the armature shaft, and also (in the case of a combined machine) the skew or worm gear 03 which is mounted on said shaft and drives the distributer. The said sets of bearings are disposed respectively upon opposite sides of the said gear, the inner set being arranged as close as possible to the armature so as to effectually support the same, while the outer set is adapted to take the pull of the drive and relieve the armature bearings proper from the driving strains.

To support the contacts end of the armature, a third set of ball bearings ct is provided, the same being fitted between lthe shaft and a bearing-cup c5 that is carried with a casting d that constitutes one of the ends of the armature casing and is provided with a partition Z1 that serves to isolate the armature and its bearings from the hightension current collecting devices; and the low-tension contact breaker which are inclosed in a separate chamber Z2 in the front of the said casting (Z, and lare thereby eiieetively protected from oil, dust and the like. This bearing arrangement, in addition to facilitating the connectionof the primary and secondary windings, keeps the armature out of contact with the faces of the polepieces and preserves the proper air-gap between these parts.

In order to obviate the risk of the terminals of the armature windings being instilated by leaking oil, the opposite ends of the u armature are provided with oil-throwing protector rings a3, but any oil thrown ott at the contacts end is intercepted or trapped by the diaphragm or partition Z1 above referred t0, and instead of passing into the chamber Z2 that contains the contact devices, is led back from the said trap into the armature chamber from whence'thc said oil can escape through suitable drainage holes b4 in the base or bottom-plate b3.

In the case of a combined machine such as shown in the drawings, the inclosed and ballsupported skew or worm gear at the drive end of the'armature shaft is arranged to mesh with a similar gear cG on the lower part of a vertical distributer shaft whose lower extremity is also inclosed in thegear and bearing box c and is supported by foot= step ball-bearings 0T.

'Ihe contact-breaker c in the primary or low tension magneto circuit is mounted in a rotatable casing c1 at the front of the chambered attachment (Z on the armature casing. The arm c2 of the said coiitact-breaker does not revolve with the armature but is operated for the inake-and-break action by a cam c3 on the armature spindle, while the high tension slip ring and the collector brush ff are arranged at an intermediate point beff tween the cam and the armature. And to make the various circuit connections between the leading out ends of the two armature windings and the collector and Contact breaker devices, and also to insure effective insulation of the various parts of the two circuits, I prefer to employ an arrangement such as follows The armature spindle at the contact breaker end is of considerable diameter and is hollow, or is bored through aXia-lly from end to end, and within the inner portion of the said hollow spindle is fitted a plug or bush of vulcanite, g that is [also chambered out axially or made hollow at g1 for a distance from the outer toward the inner end, which is left solid and carries a me'allic contact or stud -gg wherein the secondary winding of the armature terminates and is insulated from metallic contact with spindle (which is live tothe low-tension circuit) by the non-conducting material of the bush. The hollow spindle, of course, extends through,the oil-tapping diaphragm of the ehambered attachment al at the ccntacts end of the armature casing, and upon this extended part of the spindle there is mounted a second vulcanite or like block /L which serves as an insulating carrier for a spring brush tl that niakes contact with the higlrtension current is picked up and conveyed to the distributer by the brush f1. The center portion oit' this vulcanite carrier is arranged to till up the interior oit the hollow spindle and preferably, in order to render the insulation more perfect, the brush that contacts with the terminal of the secondary winding is mounted in a laterallyprotecting sleeve-like part h2 which extends axially into the chamber of the bush g that carries the winding terminal, but is surrounded by considerable air space so that. the contacting parts of brush and terminal are insulated by air as well as by the vulcanite bush and carrier from the metallic spindle.

To facilitate the mounting of the brush and slip-ring carrier 7i., two slots h3 71,* may be machined for a suitable distance along the hollow spindle while the carrier itself is slotted through with two curved clearances 72,5 h. which correspond in shape to the solid portions itT ha of the spindle that intervene between the slots. The'slip ring and brush are iirst titted to the carrier and then the latter is introduced into position by sliding the same laterally onto the spindle, the curved clearances admitting ot the center portion ot the said carrier-passing into the hollow interior ot the spindle and abutting yaga inst the 'vulcanite terminal bush.

Preterably to prevent confusion and error in assembling the parts, the two slots h. 7b4 in the spindle and the clearances r" h6 in the carrier are machined to different widths so that the said carrier can only be slid on in one position relative to the spindle. After the slip-ring carrier, the metallic bush or ring which carries the cams of the low-tension circuit breaker is introduced onto the spindle-and both devices are secured by a iianged ringl nut which is screwed into the internally threaded extremityy ot the said spindle. l

lilith regard to the paklt ot the primary winding that is led out trom the contacts end ot the armature, this is passed .along a groove in the vulcanite bush .f/ and through a hole in the slip-ring carrier 7i and terminates in a contact plate that is ydetachably monitedon the front tace ot the said carrier and extends to the center thereot. From this contact, the low-tensimi current y is collected by the insulated brush 7." that" is mounted in the front ot the contact britale.' cover and is in electrical connection both with the Contact breaker and with' the con denser ot the system.

The metallic piece that carries the brush ,7c consists of an arm m, which is mounted on the inner tace of the rocking contactbreaker case so that it moves with the latter when the ignition advance and retard mechanism is actuated. This arm carries a platinum tipped screw at m1 for adjusting thc distance between the contact points ot' the contact-breaker, which is ot' the make-andbreak type. And to provide tor the visual adjustment ot' this screw or tor the inspection of the device when the magneto is running, the upper part of the case is cut away at a, and a metallic cap 0 having a similar cut-away part or gap 01 is arranged to inclose the contact-breaker case so as to be rotatable thereon and also detachable.

Normally the clearance a in the case is closed by the solid part ot' the cap, but by turning the latter so as to bring the clearance@ 01 into register with the clearance a, the interior ot the case is rendered accessible and the contact-breaker may be inspected. or adj usted, even when in action.

The cap or cover 0 is held in position by the pressure exerted by a spring arm such as 79, which can be turned aside when it is required to detach thc'said cap. This spring is also used, in the arrangement represented in the drawings, as a circuit connection between the contact breaker and the condenser, in which case, one end of the said spring is arranged to bear on an external metallic stud 791 which has an electrical connection with thelow tension brush tf. A screw or titting p2 connects the said spring with the condenser terminal The condenser is detachably mounted on top ot the armature casing and is secured in position by a hole zf in one end ot its case engaging a peg {t} on the body ot the machine and being retained in such engagel'ncnt by the thrust o't a retaining spring such as t'. The condenser case has a metallic base vwhich conducts to earth through the armature casing or otherwise, and the peg and spring atixing devices admit ot the condenser being pushed into position and automatically locked, and again detached, without the use of tools. A

The brush f1 which takes up the high-teu sion current from the slip ring f isomounted in a'vulcanite insulating piece f3..that is titted into the top of the attachment'v Z that incloscs the slip ring carrier and is connected with a terminal q from which the hightension conductor is led away 'to thel feed brus'.A ot the distributer. But between the said brush f1 and tcrminal'q, there is arranged a safety spark gap device u whose function is to protect the armature windings irom'damage, in the event ot any interruption of the high-tension circuit, by providing an alternative path Jfor the'high tension spark in the event that same cannot pass between the pole pieces of either the cylinder plugs. The said device consists of two metallic rings or circular pole pieces al, a2 whose edges are presented toward one another and are formed with a number of points or serrations 'ua and which are fixed at a suitable distance apart in such a manner that the upper pole piece is in metallic contact with the high-tension terminal while the lower one surrounds the insulating piece f but is also in direct contact with the metallic part d which is carried by the magneto frame or otherwise earthed.

The stein or inner end f4 of the brush, f1 is electrically connected with the shank Q4 Ot the terminal g by means of the interposed brush spring Q3, although any other suitable connection may be used, While the earthed pole-piece al, in addition to being insulated from the said brush f1 by the vulcanite piece f3, is further insulated from both the brush and terminal by a tube or sleeve c, of glass or other unburnable and non-conducting material, which is interposed between the top pole piece lu2 and the brush carrier f3 so that its opposite ends respectively engage over and inclose the brush stem f4 and terminal shank g4, whichetfectually prevents any short circuiting and leaves only one path for the passage of the safety spark in the event ot any interruption of the high-tension circuit, viz., from the points or edge seirations of the pole piece u2 which is in direct contact with the terminal y, to the opposed points of the lower and earthed polepiece u1.

The pole pieces, the glass insulating' tube and the terminal, with its vulcanite terminal cap g5, are inc'losed in a cylindrical glass casing w, which provides for the inspection of the spark-gap device whenv the magneto is running. This cylinder is interposed between the chambered attachment Z of the machine and the socketed vulcaiiite cap g5 that carries the liigli-tension terminal and serves as a top to the cylinder. The whole of the said incloscd parts are readily separable from one another but are firmly secured in position by a perforated or gapped inclosing ring ai, which is passed over the terminal cap and glass cylinder and is screwed at its lower end to the body part d. rlfhe ring a has at its upper end an inwardly projecting flange for retaining engagement p with the terminal cap. The tact that the safety gap device'is inclosed in this manner obviates any risk of the inadvertent ignition of free petrol vapors by the sparks that pass between the pole pieces.

Having t'ully described m y invention, what I desire to claim and secure by Letters Patenttis-ry l, in a magneto machine in which the ar- "mature carries primary and secondary windings, the combination with a hollow armature s )indie having end slots attordm 0` a bib v inrcation, ot a non-conductive bushing having clearances to receive the bifurcated end of the spindle and having solidportions which pass through the slots' and contact means associated with the bushing, and having electrical connections with the windings.

2. In a. magneto machine, the combination with an armature casing of a chambered casting fitted to the end thereof and having an oil interceptiiig partition and a carrier for an armature bearing, a high tensionslip ring disposed within the casting, a collector brush for engagement with the slip ring, a casing for the collector brush and fitted to the casting at one side thereof, a Contact breaker, and a casing for the latter and fitted to the end of the casting.

8. In a magneto machine, in Which the armature carries primary and secondary windings, the combination with a contact breaker and its casing and a condenser, of a low tension collector brush having electrical connection with the contact breaker, an insulated metallic stud set into the casing and electrically connected to the brush and an eXteriorly located spring bearing against the stud and electrically connected to the condenser.

4. In a magneto machine, the combination with the armature housing, of a Contact breaker, a casing for the latter, t-he casing having an open portion providing for the adjustment and inspection of the contact breaker when iii action and a rotatable cover provided on the casing and having an opening which may be alined with the opening in the latter.

5. ln a magneto machine, a contact breaker, a casing therefor, an armature housing to which the casing is fitted, an external contact stud provided on the casing, a condenser arranged at one side of the armature housing and an exterior spring bearing against the stud to hold the casing in position and connected to the terminal oit the condenser.

G. In a magneto machine, a combined and seltcontained high tension collector and safety spark gap device comprising a high` tension collector brush, a terminal, a connection between the brush and the terminal and a pair of safety spark gap pole pieces consisting of disks surrounding the brush and connection and having separated but opposed Vserrated edges, one pole piece being arranged inthe high tension circuit and the other pole piece being grounded and insulatedf'rom the other parts of the combined V device.

7. In a magnet-o machine, thecombination with a-safety spark ga'p device comprising separate serrated pole pieces, one of which is grounded, of a sleeve of glass or equivalent insulating transparent aterial with relationto which the Serrat edges of the pole pieces are surronndinglglt concentric, 

